Question: The entire world is waiting for the results of the US presidential elections. The two candidates for the presidency are absolutely opposite to each other: one is a man, the other is a woman, one has been in the political arena for thirty years, the other is a businessman and is far from politics.

One is short-tempered and eccentric, the other diplomatic and even-tempered. Their plans for the development of all main areas are quite different: in the economy, health, and international relations. At that, both candidates have approximately equal chances of being elected.

This election is probably the most tempestuous of all that have ever happened in America. Half of the voters believe that Trump is a nuclear bomb for the world and a future dictator, and the other half think the same about Hillary Clinton.

That is, there was a sharp split over what to consider good and what evil. There are practically no people who would take an intermediate position and accept both candidates. What is the reason for such a sharp division?

Answer: I think that America has passed a threshold of its development after which there is a need for change. And the elite that Hillary Clinton represents blocks this process and don’t allow America to change. Therefore, there was a split between the voters belonging to the old elite and those who want change and a new America. The country has split exactly in half.

Over the past thirty years and particularly recently, we see how America sinks lower and lower, and makes one mistake after another in international politics. Its intervention into different parts of the world led to the collapsed governments, “Arab Spring” with the riots and coups, and all sorts of problems with China, Japan, Turkey, and Libya.

The US intentionally disregards Europe and ignites conflicts in the Middle East so that the waves of refugees would swamp Europe. All around the world people begin to look down on Americans. Although they still retain their influence, but only with the power of the fist. There is no longer former reverence, adoration, love, and desire to emulate America.

The American dream has burst and disintegrated long time ago. Thus, the approach that Hillary represents already went bankrupt.

Whereas Trump looks like a socialist and speaks directly, without any political diplomacy. He attacked Hillary so strongly that it led her out of the diplomatic framework. Trump brings a fresh spirit, more decisive, open, honest, and straight. He really has the qualities that America lacks today.

I am not going to praise him, but as a scientist and Kabbalist, I can say that the developments we are seeing now and will see in the near future are much more in favor of Trump. And Hillary is an old generation that doesn’t fit even our generation, let alone the future ones.

Therefore, she doesn’t have any chance of succeeding. Even if she suddenly manages to win the elections, she will later fail completely. She will definitely continue the line of Obama. However, we know that this line led America to the confrontation with Russia and to a number of conflicts in the world. American citizens can’t allow this process to continue.

During the Obama administration, the world started to become less stable hour by hour. Many events ocurred during this time in various countries, many underground games and intrigues were started by America with different nations that were later abandoned to their fate.

It doesn’t seem like anyone benefited from the eight-year presidency of Obama, including African-Americans in the United States. Apart from the Islamic refugees, who received permission to enter the country in millions, there is no other segment of the population whose life became better during this time. There are no positive results anywhere: neither in schools, universities, or public institutions, for neither men or women. America hasn’t succeeded in any field during this time, and Hillary will only continue this decay. So I wouldn’t take such a risk as voting for her.[196592]From a Talk on the Forthcoming US Elections, 11/1/2016

Torah, Deuteronomy 12:8 – 12:9: You shall not do as all the things that we do here this day, every man [doing] what he deems fit. For you have not yet come to the resting place or to the inheritance, which the Lord, your God, is giving you.

A person in the course of his development—wandering through the desert for forty years, entering the correct work with his desire that is called “entering the land of Israel” and rearranging this land (“Aretz” from the word “Ratzon,” desire) for bestowal and love by serving the Creator—finally begins to understand his previous mistakes and misunderstandings.

He realizes how he was led from above. The Creator purposefully caused him mistakes and misunderstandings so that he would see all of the problems and the right actions through them. It is impossible to reveal something if you don’t make mistakes prior to it. After all, in order to come to the correct understanding of some phenomenon, it is necessary to know it from both sides: right and wrong.

Question: So, does it mean that what seems to me as correct now is wrong?

Answer:We only give a person the method of correction, but we don’t engage with what he goes through and how he does it.

No one has the right to interfere with the internal problems, corrections, feelings, and movements of a person—no one, not even the teacher, let alone a student regarding another student! You watch from the side, you observe all of this, you understand that only in this way can he develop, and in no any other way, and you wait ten years, twenty years, or thirty years.

Of course, changes happen in a person every moment, but you can’t enter this and propose, “Let me do it, or let me finish it for you.”

There are many types of support and help from the teacher that the student doesn’t know about because they are not performed explicitly. On the contrary, to the student, it seems that he was abandoned, the teacher is not paying attention to him, and so forth.

It was even worse for me. I suffered, worried, was stressed, and couldn’t do anything, and Rabash was laughing in my face.

Question: Yet, you were very close.

Answer: That doesn’t mean anything. The spiritual work stays spiritual work. There are no privileges or actions of the teacher in order to help the student. Otherwise, the student won’t make it. He must be independent in all of his desires and qualities, and use them correctly, one hundred percent, for bestowal.

But it all depends on the devotion of the student to the teacher, the group, and the goal. Through them, he comes to devotion to the Creator.[195830]From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 6/30/16

The worldwide chain of terrorist attacks, the awakening of Islamic extremism, the decline of the European Union, and the deepening polarization between sectors and communities—are revealing that the world is crumbling. The sooner we become aware of this development, the sooner we will be ready for change and thereby prevent disasters.

To initiate effective social revolution, we need only one thing: a desire to instantly change unbearable social interactions.

For the most part, such a change is the result of a demand from a particular social group that attracts the masses toward a clearly defined goal, but not every effort necessarily spawns a real revolution. When does it? It is only after new relationships are created that bring about a reorganization of the social structure and its institutions. When this change becomes permanent, it is possible to say that a revolution occurred. In fact, throughout history, this is the way most of the great revolutions in the world began: the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Bolshevik Revolution, the “People’s Spring” Revolutions in Europe, and the wave of “Arab Spring” revolutions in the Middle East.

The question is, how should we respond in the opposite situation when revolutions, uprisings, and crises break out that change the face of human society, and for the first time, we have no ability to control what is happening? The result has already appeared before our eyes. The world is crumbling and humanity is sinking into confusion.

A Global Wake-Up Call

Day by day, the world is simultaneously surprised and dismayed by the dramatic events in the international system, in particular by the extreme upheavals in the developed nations: the horrifying terrorist attacks in Europe that are encouraging a sharp rise in right-wing nationalism, the “Brexit” that signals the impending end of the EU, the deepening purges following the attempted coup in Turkey, waves of Muslim immigrants wandering between continents, and the election campaign in the United States that has deteriorated to an all-time low. Global instability has spawned chaos, the expected relationship between cause and effect just about doesn’t exist, and as the pace of strange events continues to grow, it is difficult if not impossible to make decisions.

Despite advanced technology and sophisticated means of communication, it is impossible to foresee an outcome from the beginning, to establish governmental programs, to plan long-term strategies, to budget, and manage. Apprehension about the outbreak of a third world war grips many and is growing in light of past experience that has accumulated and proven that even security alliances, agreements, and treaties may be violated at a crucial time. From incident to incident, the lack of control becomes clear to all the political decision-makers: from the top leaders, advisers, and managers, to the most junior officials. It is clear to everyone that to lead in the twenty-first century is to manage the entire world.

From Linearity to Global, From “I” to “We”

When analyzing the process leading to the current global crisis, consider another player that has entered the field: a global and integral communications network is gradually beginning to transform every element in society, where each becomes an inseparable part of the whole, just like the organs of the human body. This is not a familiar processes of globalization that exists to be used to create international business cooperation; but on a deeper level of relationships between us; the common desire was hidden from our senses and now is becoming clear as a stable and unified network of mutual support.

In such a harmonious structure, the laws of conduct work differently: no one is more or less important than others, no nation is more or less prominent than the other countries. Everyone is considerate of each other and all of them equally, a concern resulting from the commonality between us. Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) writes in the Introduction to The Book of Zohar: “Indeed, when all human beings agree to abolish and eradicate their will to receive for themselves, and have no other desire but to bestow upon their friends, all worries and jeopardy in the world would cease to exist, and everyone will be assured of a whole and wholesome life, since each of us would have the whole world caring for us, ready to fulfill our needs. Yet, while each of us has only a desire to receive for ourselves, it is the source of all the worries, suffering, wars, and slaughter we cannot escape.”

As long as we continue to cling to our natural egoistic perception and fail to adapt to the new global reality, the dissonance will continue to grow. As a result, there is high volatility, the crises strike us one after another, and the only hope left for us is the view finder of world leaders who themselves are powerless, and they cannot predict the developments and take preemptive action.

How Does One Behave in a Connected World?

We must stop burying our heads in the sand. The order has changed, and it is impossible to halt or deny the new reality and the futility of the current system. If in the past, we felt a natural, inner urge for change, and the force of revolution brought the transformation of human society; today the world is pushing us into a corner and pressing us to change and build new relationships: between person and person, between husband and wife, between parents and children, between employee and employer, between bankers and industrialists, and between politicians and citizens.

The waves of crises affecting us in recent years and intensifying in recent months are only a reflection of the egoistic relationships between us. They are an expression of the broken links in the network of connections between us, which we must correct. This is why Communism failed, the American dream shattered, and the European Union breaks down. Every system—including socioeconomic systems—that ever flourished or faded is the direct result of relationships between us.

The turning point of humanity is dependent on an unprecedented radical revolution, but the revolution is conceptual, material, and spiritual, sufficient to cause a revolution in the heart of each and every person. Instead of concern for ourselves, we need to be concerned about others: instead of “I”, “We”!

A Trend Toward Global Unity

“I am glad that I have been born in such a generation when it is permitted to disclose the wisdom of truth. … We deem it as dependent not on the greatness of the sage, but on the state of the generation.” (Baal HaSulam, The Teaching of the Kabbalah and Its Essence).

Our individualistic generation is obligated to begin walking the path of unity and mutual support. Only then will we be adapted to the global network of connection that is being revealed. To avoid going over the edge of the abyss, we must pay attention to the warning signs that appear on the way directing us to develop sensitivity to each other and to connect with each other in a mature and responsible way.

The wisdom of connection, i.e., Kabbalah, is the precise answer to the constantly deepening separation between us. It is this method that has the ability to develop in us the necessity for mutual responsibility and for reaching out to one another. Rav Kook writes in praise of this wisdom: “Precisely at a time of great peril and crisis we should take the best of cures.” (Letters, Volume 2). The sooner, the better it is for us to open the books of Kabbalah to learn how to build the right relationships between us so we will act according to the laws of nature, which always aspire to harmony and balance. So we will know which systems of life are essential for our existence and how to build them to make our lives better.[191555]From Ynet article 8/2/16

On November 4-6, 2016 our friends from San Antonio, Texas participated in Texas’ largest book fair, the Texas Book Festival in Austin Texas with over 40,000 attendees. Our friends sold our books and presented our Internet resources to the readers.

Torah, Deuteronomy 12:7: And there you shall eat before the Lord, your God, and you shall rejoice in all your endeavors you and your households, as the Lord, your God, has blessed you.

“You and your households” are the main, secondary, and tertiary forces of our soul. For example, “wife” is the primordial human desire, and “children” represent what a person generates by his actions. All other relatives are everything that he includes in himself as primary, secondary, and tertiary desires, and so on.

The phrase, “you shall eat before the Lord, your God,” refers not to material meals, but to the absorption (perception) of the Upper Light, the Creator, and the sensation of Him. In other words, we are talking about the anti-egoistic screen.

Everything in Kabbalah is explained very simply, and therefore, I, personally, and my students don’t have any association with earthly actions.

Thus, the phrase, “And there you shall eat before the Lord, your God, and you shall rejoice in all your endeavors,” means that we must reach such a state in our desire that we will be able to fulfill it, and this is called “eat and drink” since the Light of Hochma symbolizes food and the Light of Hassadim symbolizes drink.

In other words, the fulfillment that is called holy will enter our desires because it is only for the sake of the Creator, and this is His revelation.[195613]From KabTV’s “Secrets of the Eternal Book” 6/30/16

In the News (Pravda): “David Hagmann from Carnegie Mellon University and his colleagues believe that the phenomena associated with the adoption of collective decisions are subject to a certain mathematical algorithm. Scientists have borrowed from the animal world, bees and bacteria, as the principle for creating the model.

“Both are part of large groups, but they are able to participate in rather complex decision-making, using signals that pick up from a small amount of group members, scanning the environment. So, choosing places for bee hives is based on information received posted in searching ‘spies.’

“Similarly, are the need to act and algorithms for collective decision-making, according to the study authors. Imagine that we have a kind of notional group of people that have access to a limited amount of information.

“Based on this information, each of these people may decide to perform one of several actions that are predefined and his intention immediately becomes aware of others who, in turn, may follow suit or to do some other way.

“When one of these options reaches a greater degree of popularity, all the others make a collective decision, guided by the opinions of several ‘interest groups.’ Moreover, the prevalence of this decision will depend on the size of ‘interest groups’ – the larger it is, a greater number of people will accept this decision. …

“The fact is that the members of large groups unconsciously choose the least risky strategy of the developing solutions. So, if the place for a hive or colony of insects is built hastily by the selected ‘scouts,’ it can lead to death of the whole population. Therefore, at the moment of decision-making analysis and risk assessment are necessary.

“Hagmann says the same thing occurs in the human brain. In the brain there is a decision-making center, and the nerve cells are searching for the best options to carry out further actions. …

“‘Our brain works in such a way that the decision is made only when a certain number of neurons are active in the decision-making center…’ – says one of the study authors, Russell Goleman.”

My Comment: This is further proof that specifically a collective and its maximal collective decision is correct because in this case the decision and action are consistent with the single network that connects all parts of nature into one unified system.[183007]

New Life #193 – The Jewish HolidaysDr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Nitzah Mazoz

Summary

The Jewish holidays are cyclical, like landmarks during the year. How do they guide us to reach qualitative communication between us of love and mutual help?

The goal of our development is to reach the feeling of “love thy friend as thyself,” to reach connection. Abraham taught his students how to develop according to the general force of nature. He is the father of the nation of Israel. Our development includes two forces, the evil force and the good force, rejection and connection. We have to develop the positive force. At the end of the fourth exile, we need to correct ourselves and the whole world.

Pesach (Passover): we were unable to overcome the evil that was revealed, which is called we went down to Egypt. To celebrate the exodus from Egypt, the ascent above the egoism, which is called Pharaoh, we celebrate Passover.

Shavuot: At the foot of the mountain of hatred, we agreed to be as one and received the Torah.

Rosh HaShana: the self-examination we have to do with regards to the correction of the world through love of others.

The 9th of AV and the month of Elul: we begin to see how to follow the path of correction before Rosh HaShana.

Yom Kippur: we examine how much evil is left in us. On Yom Kippur we torment ourselves wanting to detach ourselves from the ego, from the evil in us.

The Ten Days of Penitence, Sukkot and SimchatTorah: the method of correction that we have received inspires joy.

The Sukkah of Peace symbolizes the forces that are to arrive, embrace us, and tie us all together.

Hanukkah and Purim: Two stops on the way to the correction of evil to goodness.

The miracle of Hanukkah is connecting our small positive forces and being awarded with the triumph of the spirit.

Purim: the last correction of all the evil that has been revealed.

The completion of the process that started in Pesach (Passover). The hanging of Haman and his ten sons: everyone needs to kill his resistances to connection and love.

Tu BiShvat: there are four levels of the evil force in a person. Tu BiShvat symbolizes the correction on the vegetative level.

The month of Elul, Slichot (prayers for forgiveness):I examine myself and discover that there is actually evil in me and that I am against connection. The essence of the prayer for forgiveness is to exit the evil and to reach love between us. There is everything we need in the world; the only thing we lack is connection.

Fasting: this symbolizes our desire to abstain from our ego, to detach ourselves from it.

When we wish each other “happy holiday,” we should aspire to fulfill this holiday internally.
[146834]From KabTV’s “New Life #193 – The Jewish Holidays,” 6/4/13